I wrote about this earlier today!So I had this BRILLIANT thought that if I got a chest freezer and just set the thermostat to 1 that it would hover right around the freezing mark....
Yeah, not so much... BUT having seen videos of people doing it I know there is some sort of magic relay/thermostat/probe/thingymabober out there that will go between the freezer's compressor/thermostat system and the wall to have it kick on and off at fridge temperatures.
Unfortunately I don't know the terminology involved to even start looking for that magic thermostat/contactor box.
I'm good keeping it all 110v so no inverters or low/high voltage combinations or anything, I just don't know what I'm looking for or what makes one better or worse?
Someone on here knows what I'm talking about, right? Wanna point a guy in the right direction?
Some maybe important details: It draws between 62-74 watts and only gets used 2 weeks a year at the family camping trip. It's a 7cf Magic Chef that I got for $175 new and I really don't want to spend $5000 on a relay for such a cheap freezer.
I can confirm that these Danby freezers are indeed cheaper to buy in-store than online.Not exactly pertinent to this thread but adding this info below for those searching for off grid options in the future, that might come across this thread.
Convertible Danby Chest Freezer / Fridge info at the Danby Canada website. I saw a thread today that shows it on sale inside some Costco Canada stores for $249.99 CDN ($186 USD). On the Costco Canada website it shows it at $399.99 CDN. The Energy Star card shows it using 225 KWhr/year but doesn't mention if used as a Freezer or Fridge. I'd expect it to be as a Freezer, as my similar size and rated Danby freezer as a fridge uses less than half the energy of the same freezer set up, so 125 KWhr/year. Although there are variables to this rating, as in how often the lid is open and closed and the ambient room temperature, so the real world use may use more energy or less energy.
Of course there is only the manual defrost option and so use as a fridge, in humid environments, could cause considerable interior condensation that would require either more frequent sponging to remove condensation build up. In my Inkbird controlled conversion, I get very little condensation but I also don't often open and close the converted freezer to chest fridge that often each day.
The advantage with this convertible option is that with a capable inverter, the thermostat does not require power until the temperature control requires it, unlike the Inkbird Digital Thermostat option, which always needs power, however that electricity draw is minor. Also, this thermostat on a freezer will turn on with my old Xantrex SW 4 KW inverter in standby (Search) mode, whereas the Inkbird digital thermometer will not.
It is also a lower cost option than a DC chest freezer fridge and obviously a simpler control than converting an AC Freezer to a Fridge.
I have not seen any info whether the compressor is different or the technology is different other than a different thermostat being used. This to me is a nice off grid small use application option at a pretty low price and FWIW, a 5 year warranty.
Well my MagicChef 7cu was $169 and the contriller was $35 so still much cheaper than the Danby + Costco membership.I can't imagine a thermostat/contactor combo being so cheap that it isn't easier just to get a unit like this that offers it built-in.
USD or CAD?Well my MagicChef 7cu was $169 and the contriller was $35 so still much cheaper than the Danby + Costco membership.
I have 4 of those, they're awesome.I use one of these Ink Birds to control my freezer for use as a refrigerator when I have shore power. I am very happy with it.
![]()
Inkbird Digital Temperature Controller Dual Stage Thermostat ITC-308
Inkbird ITC-308 is an easy-to-use dual relay output temperature controller that supports temperature calibration. Heating and cooling equipment can be set up at the same time or separately, and it has compressor delay protection. The controller has multiple alarm functions to ensure safe operation.inkbird.com
![]()
What doesn't work? It should take very little movement to keep the air even temp.I've run a fan for years in my chest fridge and it just doesn't work as well as I'd like. Our replacement freezer has coils on the bottom and the lower section freezes, unlike the previous one which had them on top. Going to install a L shaped section of septic drain field pipe with extra holes to get the upper air lower.
On what planet.What doesn't work? It should take very little movement to keep the air even temp.
that setup is giving me some food for thought.......Im considering a 24V system to power a chest freezer as fridge & another chest freezer.Im not sure if a 12V system could run that, along with our other (tiny) loads ?For another data point…I have been using a 5 cu ft Koolatron chest freezer with inkbird controller to use the unit as a refrigerator. Set up has been working flawlessly for over 4 years now. Recently did another kill a watt test to see what is used over 24 hr period in new location with high summer temps. Start up uses 650 watts for less than a second, then settles to 70 watts. Consumes 117 watts over night, and another 250 during the 12 hr daytime period for a total of 370 watts per 24 hrs. This unit is inside a RV that is seeing over 100 degree inside temperatures for at least 9 hrs of the day. I am using a 1k watt pure sine inverter also purchased off Amazon. Inverter has 6 watt idle draw, and is on 24/7.
2x200 watt 12v panels with 2x200ah lifepo4 batteries. Recently upgraded my cheap Renogy 40amp PWM controller to a Victron 100/30 and am very happy with the performance of everything.
So, almost 5 years?My experience with a freezer to fridge project. I'm still using it.
FWIW, stand-offs from the bottom (wire racks, bar mats, whatever avoids direct conduction and provides an air gap) make it perfectly viable to circulate air. The refrigerant is around 0°F IIRC, so of course the coil will be much colder when the compressor runs, but the fan will improve that.Freezers with coils on the bottom should be avoided.